Hilary's Desk

"Bodily Matters” by Nadja Burbach. Read Full Blog

Everywhere we look, we see nothing but pictures of coloured surgical masks as if these have some paranormal ability to “protect” the wearer. These, we presume, work. Right? After all, they are part of the “national plan” to stop the spread of flu viruses right? We’ve been told that the two main means of infection are contact: as in shake someone’s hand, put hand in mouth; picking up droplets from furniture (fomites), or being directly coughed or sneezed over. Right? Masks supposedly are to contain what the infectious people cough out, to protect others, so wearers also assume that masks protect them from the “environment” around them. Why else would people on the streets of Mexico, and doctors, be wearing them? Right? Wrong, actually, on both counts.  Read Full Blog

Bouquets to the Health Department for finally waking up to the fact that their infection protocols are ludicrous. We hear on the news tonight that they are concerned the infection could spread like wildfire through doctors surgeries! Well, hello??!!! Do they think that doesn’t happen with ordinary flu, all the time? Do they honestly believe that in “normal” times, doctors’ surgeries are a model for a Savlon advertisement? Don’t they realise that doctors’ surgeries are always, the ultimate pathogen liberation centres?  First Brickbat:  Trying to use hotels and motels to isolate patients, is plain silly. But it would appear that the Department of Health are “reinventing the wheel” at last. Just let everyone know where the “infection hospitals” are please, and DON’T make them part of ordinary hospitals. Read Full Blog

Handshakes put pair in quarantine tells us "Public health official Sally Young said only those with direct contact with the Rangitoto pupil required isolation at the moment." Hello?  Is anyone at home in the Health Department?  Yoo hoo!!!? Read Full Blog

How's your day? Full of humour and irony? No? Well, let me make your day for you, or stuff it up, depending on your perspective. Consider the irony and illogic from the reportage team who wrote yesterday's New Zealand Herald articles on the swine flu. Let me join a few dots for you, following on from yesterday's blog serve. Read Full Blog